A decade ago, a “very traumatic family loss” haunted the Moghadam’s. With a travel background, Christine Moghadam opted to cope by doing what she loved most: getting to know the world. After becoming groundless, she and her husband, both turning 40 that year, chose to leave the kids with their grandparents and get away for a while. The destination was decided by fate itself: eyes shut, a spinning globe and a pointing finger that landed in the Iberian Peninsula.
Spain was no news to them. In need of a fresh start, it made sense to jump into the unknown. And Portugal represented exactly that; not only because the pair hadn’t traveled to this country, but also because no one seemed to be acquainted with it. “Portugal? Where is that? South America?”, they heard back from their confused friends. In 2016, Italy, France, Spain and England were what popped up in most minds when thinking about Europe. However, this unfamiliarity didn’t stop Christine and Sol. Little did they know this seemingly ordinary getaway would completely change their lives.
Chinese mythology argues that there’s a red string that transcends everyday logic, connecting people that are destined to meet, regardless of time, place or circumstance. Even though we can’t say it for a fact, the unexpected link between the Moghadam’s and Portugal seems to derive from a lengthy, powerful ball of this inevitable red yarn.
The trip ended up happening during one of Portugal’s most glorious summers, when everyone was outside cheering for the national team, which won the European Football Championship for the first (and only) time. It resulted in a wave of celebration that heightened the already characteristic hospitality and pride of the Portuguese.
“I was very depressed, and we were really struggling with grieving. Sometimes travel just kind of takes you away from reality. And Portugal became a very special place. It was an amazing experience. We made friends that week and had so much fun”, Christine recalls.
This overwhelming welcome had an even greater significance for occurring during a period of mourning. Anyone who has ever dealt with grief knows how hard it is to disassociate the surroundings and to be able to create happy and guilt-free memories during that time. For allowing the couple to do that, Christine and Sol made it their mission to express gratitude beyond what anyone would expect (not even them).
For the following years, they would come back to Portugal at least 20 times. It didn’t take long for them to want their kids to experience the connection firsthand. Ethan and Isaac, now 21 and 18, respectively, would end up growing up in the Portuguese coast from time to time. In 2020, the family decided to buy a house in Matosinhos and to properly establish roots in this country that had given them so much. And to think it all started with a piece of jewelry.
A legacy jumpstarted by a bracelet
A few days into the first trip to Portugal, a walk to a local market became a turnaround that defined the next decade for the Moghadam’s. “We came across some cork bracelets and my husband bought a couple. And I was very intrigued by it, because it wasn’t leather. It was some other material that I wasn’t familiar with”, Christine remembers. This first impact triggered a deep dive research into cork that later originated Corc Yoga, a wellness and lifestyle brand that was never a mere hobby or a passion project, but instead a calling, or even a purpose.
After only a week abroad, Christine “felt like a completely different person”. “I want to give back to this country that’s just made such an impression in my life”, she thought. This desire awakened the entrepreneurial spirit she’d had since childhood. “When I was little, I would make and sell things, always looking for opportunities to create a business per se. And because I grew up in the health and wellness worlds, I was very integrated in it”, she explains. The daughter of two scientists from Hong Kong was keen on creating something with this “unique” and “amazing” material, presenting it and its potential to the rest of the world.
Cork is one of Portugal’s largest export materials. The country is responsible for about half of all cork produced on the planet, making cork one of its main sources of income. This industry represents more than a billion euros per year. Besides being profitable, cork is also sustainable, since it comes from the bark of the cork oak tree. This renewable resource can have multiple purposes that go from fashion and design to as far as aerospace industry.
Before setting the sail, Christine wanted “to actually do it and understand it”. “I had to see for myself the process of cork, how it’s stripped from the trees and the harvest. To really expand my knowledge on the tradition, the heritage, really going back to the roots of cork and relating it to Portugal”, she recalls. With that in mind, she got in touch with the Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR), which then set up a tour to a legit farm in Coruche – “not one of those touristy destinations, but a ‘get your hands dirty’ one”. With the help of an interpreter (since none of the workers spoke English), older farmers showed Christine and her family how it all went down, just like a field trip. “They were talking to the trees in Portuguese and telling us that it’s really important to ask the tree for permission, to check if it’s ready to give and how much it’s ready to give. They don’t just use the axe and peel it off. It’s a really amazing process, kind of meditative, showing how they listen to the tree”, she recollects fondly about what she describes was a “cathartic experience” that brought her the confidence to start this brand.
After spending a year doing research, contacting and visiting factories and fields, Christine figured out how she wanted this chapter to begin. “I wanted to create jobs, to work with family-owned factories that are trying to keep these traditions alive”, the entrepreneur argues, emphasizing she was never in it for the money. Only one factory was a match to the “wish to create a product that would showcase cork in a very unique and beautiful way”. Located in Montijo, a region south of the imponent Tagus river, this was the place that made the dream come true – and that continues to nurture it after 10 years.
The strive to become hospitality icons
The debut of Corc Yoga happened, just as the name suggests, with yoga mats, “because, at that time, a lot of it were being mass produced with synthetic materials”. By using cork, they were able to create a version without chemicals, rubber or dye. The final result was “almost like an art piece” due to its beautiful texture and design. For then on, the vision for the brand was developed and the business evolved to designs such as umbrellas, backpacks, notebooks, pouches, accessories and bags.
But the biggest challenge proved to be to make cork cease to be impersonal and, instead, become as special to those who come into contact with Corc Yoga as it is to its creator. To accomplish this goal, the team decided to promote a wellness, cultural and educational retreat “to have people come and experience cork”, since they couldn’t “touch it, feel it or smell it” from a distance. About 60 people were taken to a cork forest for a one-of-a-kind excursion that reshaped the way they perceived cork. A whole entire buyout of The Lince EcorkHotel Évora was done and, for a few days in October 2021, friends and guests lived and breathed cork. And then came the need to break down barriers.
“Obviously, I knew I wanted to make everything with cork, but I wanted to do it in a way where it would be a high-end. Not mass market, make things and sell things on Amazon, but to really showcase the artistry of cork, and to give it the value that it deserves”, Christine wished, acknowledging it took time to take it to another level, expand it and turn it into a lifestyle material. “I think the Corc Yoga mat is our storytelling piece. It’s become that piece where we tell the story. For people to smell it, to touch it, to practice on it”, she considers. It was the starting point for the next phase, where imagination would be given prominence. “Imagine a room full of cork. Imagine all the things that you can create and make with it”, she teases, adding that it was at this point she became determined to head “into custom hospitality and design focused products”.
In the present day, wellness is but a branch of Corc Yoga. There is still a long road to pave, but, for now, it leads to customized, tailor-made and upon request creations. In an effort to become more exclusive and niche, the brand no longer has an online store and has distanced itself from retail and e-commerce. “It has been my dream to start developing furniture pieces. That’s really exciting”, Christine says about the new direction, where Corc Yoga has started to produce custom pieces for hospitality, interior designers and corporate. “And that’s part of our sustainability vision too, instead of just mass-producing items and storing them in warehouses”, the owner adds.
Verride Palácio de Santa Catarina, in Lisbon, and Legacy Ithos, in Porto Santo, Madeira, Mexico, Canada, Switzerland, Spain, Belgium and the U.S. are some of the properties where one can witness Corc Yoga’s craft, such as pillows, coasters, keycards, tissue holders, trays, bedside tables, mats, “do not disturb” signs, spa elements or even cubes with QR codes. “The idea is to enter in according to what the hotel needs, not according to what we want to sell to them. We’re not a cork factory, we’re cork artisans”, Christine establishes.
A calling rooted in purpose and gratitude
Right now, the whole family is involved and working very closely to make it work. The Moghadam’s don’t want to be perceived as yet “more foreigners capitalizing on the opportunity to come to Portugal to just be an investor, buy a house and let it sit there and grow in value, ruin real estate for the locals and then leave”. As a travel advisor, the mom of two has been trying to “really promote and sell more travel to Portugal in the less touristy way”. “We really love the country and the culture. Therefore, we want to promote cork, tell its story and have the Portuguese be even more proud of what they produce. Because Portuguese people are so humble, forgiving, gracious and hospitable. And it’s time for Portugal to really have the spotlight in the most authentic way”, Christine notes, considering herself as an ambassador whose role it is to “tell the world to look deeper into this country”, because “there’s so much more to it”. And cork is yet another factor to help put it on the map.
For now, the primary focus for Corc Yoga is within Portugal, because it’s where everything unwinds. With the company’s curated way of producing comes the urge to make sure it sticks to its ethical values. “I never wanted to just make another brand. I want this brand to also give back to the people, to support them”, Christine points out, mentioning the effort to guarantee fair wages and the collaboration with mental health, rehabilitation and reintegration organizations such as Teen Challenge Portugal (Desafio Jovem). “The big reason why we have reshaped our vision to really expand and grow is because Corc Yoga is a legacy I want to leave behind for my kids. It’s not a side project, it’s my life. It’s our livelihood. It’s what puts the food on the table for us”, the CEO concludes.
Christine Moghadam feels honored to build up a project “that can tell the world how amazing cork is and connect its story to Portugal”. This whole infatuation for the country was the impulse for her to undergo a DNA test. Even though Christine was sure Portuguese blood ran through her veins, the results said otherwise. Nevertheless, the unexpected red string wrapped around the family and this new home has proven to be unbreakable.
By Mariana Coelho
INFO: https://corcyoga.com/